How to write a checklist people actually follow

A checklist that nobody follows is worse than no checklist, because it creates the impression that the work is under control. The difference between one that is used and one that is ignored is rarely discipline. It is how the list was written.

Five rules

• Write each step as something you can see is done. “Check plumbing” is a wish; “pressure-test plumbing for 24 hours” is a step.
• Keep each phase short. If a phase has more than eight or so steps, it is probably two phases.
• Only list what gets forgotten. Steps people would never skip just add noise.
• Put steps in the order they happen. A list that makes people jump around gets abandoned.
• Leave room for notes. The decision made on site is often more valuable later than the tick itself.

Then improve it after every run

The first version of any checklist is wrong in small ways. After each project, spend five minutes changing the flow: remove the step nobody needed, add the one that caught you out. After three or four projects you will have something no template could have given you — a record of how your work really goes.